Operating mechanism



Feb. 1946. I J. OAKLEY v I 2,395,789

OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 30, 1944 'INVENTOR. T

Patented Feb. 26, 1946 OPERATING MECHANISM .l'ohn Oakley, Springfield,-Mass., assignor "to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, Springfield,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 30, 1944, SerialNo. 542,929

2 Claims.

I Materials or fabrics 'to be washed are of dif-" ferent textures andfineness so that fine and delicate fabrics are injured by the violentagitation necessary for the coarser and more rugged materials.

According to this invention, a driving mechanism is constructed andarranged whereby an agitator shaft may be oscillated back and forththrough various angles thereby making it possible to vary the angle ofoscillations from zero to maximum so that the agitating action willaccommodate various fabrics and accomplish the washing function withoutviolence which tends to injure the fabrics. jj

It will be understood that various changesand modifications may be madein the form of the invention in order to adapt the mechanism for variouspurposes. .The invention is described and illustrated for purposes ofdisclosure, it not being intended to be limited to the form thereofdescribed and illustrated.

In the drawing the figure is a partial plan View of a washing machinetub having a driving mechanism embodying the principles of the inventionassociated therewith.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail the invention will be fullydescribed.

A tub such as usually forms a part of a washing machine is shown at 2which has a bottom wall 4.

A casing 6 is secured to the tub in the usual manner and it has a cover,not shown, which member, is moved back and forth the pinion. Hi

- varied.

' member I8 is rotated clockwise-by themotor.

may be secured thereto in any desired manner'to provide with the casinga leak proof housing.

An agitator shaft 3 is oscillatable in the casing and extends upwardlyinto the tub for carrying an agitator or paddle which may be of anydesired form. g

A pinion or gear I0 is fixed to the shaft 8 and a rack l2 in meshtherewith is guided for reciprovarying the extent of reciprocation ofthe memby. various means but for illustrative purposes a cations by anysuitable means such as guide members l4.

As the rack, which may be called a driving is oscillated back'and forthfor imparting oscillatory movements to the shaft 8 and the agitatorthereon. It will be appreciated that by ber l2 that the extent ofoscillations or angle of oscillations of the. pinion Ill and shaft 8 areA shaft 16 rotatable in the .casing'extends upwardly of the tub foroperating a wringer of usual construction. A rotatable member fixed onsaid shaft I6 is in mesh with a worm 20. having a shaft 22 that isjournalledin the casing.

A. coupling 24 operatively connects the shaft 22 to a shaft 26 of amotor 28. Said motor is carried by a frame or support 30 thatis-connected .to

the tub or casing. r For purpose of disclosure, but notby way, oflimitation, it will be assumed that the rotatable Links 32 and 34'haveinner ends pivotally connected at 3B and their outer ends are. pivotallyconnected at 38 and 40 to the rotatable andreciprocable members l8 andl2 respectively. There may be a roller 42 associated with the pivotalconnection 35.

A guide or adjusting member 44, is provided that is movable in and'outor towards and away from a plane passing through the axes of said shafts8 and I6. Said member 44 may be moved rack 46 is provided, which ismovable, back and forth in the casing, to'which the said member 44 issecured.

A toothed member 48 in mesh with the rack is fixed to a shaft 50journalled in a bracket 52 and may have a manually engageable member 54.As the shaft 50 is rotated in one direction or the other said rack ismoved up or down or in and out to adjust the position. of guide 44.

With the guide 44 in the position shown, the rotatable member H3 inclockwise rotation causes link 32 to swing link 34 on its pivotalconnection 40 without moving the said rack. This is the zero position ofthe'member 44 producing zero oscillations of shaft 8. a v i To producereciprocating "movements of the rack the guide 44 is moved inwardly orupwardl from the position shown and to produce maxi mum movements ofsaid rack, guide 44 is move to its innermost or uppermost position.

In an upper position of the member 44 or position upwardly from thatshown the connection 38 as it is rotated clockwise and upwardly tion 38through link 32 moves the connection 36' upwardly towards the left andaway from the guide 44 causing link 34 to swing on connection 40 andpull the rack to the left until connection 38 again commences itspushing cycle.

Thus through substantially one-half the path of movement of theconnection 38 the connection 36 is moved onto and along guide 44 so thatlink 34 moves the rack I2 in one direction while through the remainingpath of movement of-said connection 38 the connection 36 is movedupwardly and away 'from' guide '44 so that through-- links 32 and 34 therack is moved in an opposite direction.

The guide 44 being in zero position, as shown, as it is moved inwardlyor upwardly the action isFsuch that the extent of reciprocation andthereby the degree of oscillation of the shaft 8 is increased to themaximum according to the position of :said guide.

For'maximum angle of oscillation of the shaft I2 the member 44*islocated in its innermost position.

A stop 60 is provided which is engageable by connections 36 in itsuppermost position and may be. constructed in any desired manner so asto prevent straightening out the links whereby in the pushing cycle ofthe connection'38 the connection '36 will move downwardly to andtraverse the guide member.

The construction is such that the extent of reciprocation of the. rackand thereby the angle of oscillation of shaft 8 may be varied as may bedesired from zero to maximum and at the same time there may be a dwellat opposite ends of movement of the rack depending in extent on'thespecific construction employed.

The invention may be embodied in other speciiic forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Operating mechanism for oscillating the agitator shaft of awashing'machine through various angles comprising in combination, asupport having a driven shaft oscillatable therein and drive shaftrotatable therein, a gear on said oscillatable shaft, a rack in meshwith said gear guided for reciprocation towards and away from said driveshaft, .a drive member on said drive shaft,.a link having an outer endpivotally connected to the drive member eccentrically of the axis ofrotation thereof and a link having an outer end pivctally connected tosaid rack, a pivotal connection between the inner ends of said links, anelongated guide having a face engageable by said pivotal connectionwhich is disposed substantially parallel to a plane passing through theaxes of said drive and driven shafts, and means for moving said guidetowards and away from said plane.

2. Operating, mechanism for oscillating the agitator shaft of a washingmachine through various angles comprising in combination, a supporthaving a driven shaft oscillatable therein and drive shaft rotatabletherein, a gear on said oscillatable shaft, a rack in mesh with saidgear guided in said support for reciprocation in a plane substantiallyparallel to a plane passing through the longitudinal axes of said shaftsand transversely to said axes and towards and away from saiddrive shaft,a guide member movable in the support transversely to said plane hav inga face spaced from and substantially paral- 49 lel to saidplane, meansfor moving said guide member towards and away from said plane, a linkhaving an outer end pivoted to the drive membereccentrically relativetothe axis of rotation thereof, a link having an outer end pivotallyconnected to said rack, connecting means pivotally connecting the innerends of said links, the links being swingable on their pivotalconnections with the drive member and rack whereby thepivotallyconnected inner ends thereof may move towards and away from said guidewhereby as the drive member rotates the connecting means isalternatelymoved away from and towards the guide to bring about reciprocations ofthe rack and oscillations of the oscillatable shaft.

JOHN OAKLEY.

